by EMILIE ALDEN
A condition plaguing students globally, “senioritis” has officially infected the Chadwick Class of 2024.
Workloads are high and motivation is low for most of the 12th grade, and many are calling for an adjustment in the Chadwick curriculum as a result.
As a post-college-app senior myself, I can attest to the struggles of second semester. This begs the fundamental question: Are students truly motivated to learn in school or are they just trying to get into college? What does this issue reveal about the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of the Chadwick curriculum?
“I started to feel sick from the disease in my last semester of junior year. It’s kind of hard for me to decide whether or not I should try because my grades aren’t going to affect my college admissions at this point,” Ella Schneider said.
“I don’t think my teachers understand how stressful senior year is. I’ve never had as much homework due in any other years of high school besides my senior year.”
For seniors such as Schneider who have worked hard in high school solely for college admissions, senior year can be especially stressful and harmful to their motivation. College is a huge component of academic success for many students.
Sophie Lalas, an unaffected senior, says, “I think some people are valid with their claims of senioritis, but others game the system and do well because they don’t want to try.”
Meredith Kenney offers: “I think people do have control over themselves and whether or not they will have motivation, but I think it’s still a valid thing. Sometimes I feel a little less motivated than I did before, and it does make sense that we’re kind of worn down after all of the work we’ve done.”
For seniors who are deathly infected with senioritis, Schneider recommends “taking nice long nature walks to the dog park. I also swim in the ocean and do cold plunges sometimes. I find it very relaxing and de-stressing.”
Added senior athlete Lauren Lopez, “It’s important to surround yourself with other classmates who want to do well. When I see others working hard, it motivates me to do the same.”
The overall consensus among seniors is that senioritis is a real and harmful infection, impacting many.
College applications can take a toll on students, and the motivation to do well after submitting those applications can be low. Levels of senioritis, however, vary depending on students’ learning goals.
“I think it would be more beneficial to put less pressure on students for tests and grades and focus more on the joy of learning,” Kenney says.
If students and teachers switched their mindsets to focus on the joy of learning, I believe the 12th-grade student body would be less affected by senioritis.
Teachers should understand that seniors have been working super-hard for the past four years, and, perhaps, if they created more interactive and less grade-and test-oriented lesson plans, students could be increasingly eager to come to class and learn more as a result.
As expressed by many hard-working seniors, senioritis seems to be affecting some more than others, with a key factor being students’ personal motivators.
Students who are solely motivated by college admissions tend to struggle more with senioritis as they believe they have nothing to work for during the second semester.
Although college is clearly valuable, for many students and parents, the pressure of getting into a university has become more important than the joy of learning. Motivation to learn for the gift of knowledge has been forgotten, defeating Margret Chadwick’s educational mission entirely.
The Mainsheet 